Oyster-opening machine



* Sept; 4, 192s. A

L H. J. WHELAN OYSTER OPENING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1928v www A.

:M'QZQ Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES HOWARD J'. WI-IELAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

OYSTER-OPENING MACHINE.

Application filed-February 21, l1928. Serial No. 255,868.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in oyster' shuckers and has special reference'to improvements in the oyster shucker disclosed in the patent to Nicholas G. `Abbate, patented June, 1917, and bearing the Number 1,228,383. a

One important object of the invention is to limprove the supporting means of the shucker described in the aforesaid patent in order to better support clams and other smooth shelled bivalves and thus make the device adapted for opening such bivalves as well as oysters. l

A second importantobject of the invention is to improve the. form of the opening knives employed in this shucker.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed. f

In the accompanyingY drawingslike `charaeters of reference indicate like part-s in t-he several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shucker constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail section disclosing the adjustment of the supporting means.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the support.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the splitting knife.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of said splitting knife.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the shell lifting knife.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the shell lifting knife.

In the construction of the present embodiment of the shucker there is provided a table 10 supported on legs 11 and at one end this table is provided with confronting grooves 12 wherein is slidably mounted a cross head 13 having a rack 14 on its underside. EX- tending across the shucker at this end is a shaft 15 provided with a handled crank 16 and on this shaft is fixed a gear 17 which meshes with the rack 14 so that by rotation of the handled crank 16 the cross head may be moved to and fro lengthwise of the table 10. Extending upwardly from` the cross head 13 is a hollow pedestal 18 wherein fits the shank 19 of a support which consists of abody portion 2O `having a Avertical face confronting'the opposite end of the 'machine andof general concave shape with vertical serrati'ons as best shown in Figure 4 at 21. Extending from the lower part of this face toward the said opposite end of the table is a lpair of spaced downwardly'curved arms 22 having their upper surfaces provided with serrations as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4, the serrations on oney arm being inclined with respect to the other arm as shown in Figure 4. At the opposite end of the table there is a carriage 23 of the same construction as that shown in vthe aforesaid patent to Abbate and having, like it, an operating lever 24 which engages at its opposite ends with rollers 25. The lower of these rollers is mounted on a shank 26 which is connected with a clamp member 27 slidable longitudinally of the bed or table 10. Fixed to the carriage 23 is an opening knife 28 and slidably mounted on the carriage is a splitting knife 29 which carries the upper roller 25. The opening knife A28 has a pointed forward end 30 which is wedge shaped in side elevation and curved with its convex side upwardly as shown best in Figure 6. The splitting knife 29 has a bifurcated end providing two round ended knife arms 31 which are also wedge shaped and upwardly curved as clearly shown in Fig ure 8.

In operation the bivalve is placed with its hinge against the surface 21 of the support and the crank 16 is operated until the bivalve has its forward or mouth edge brought into contact with the movable clamp 27. Further movement of the cross head shoves this cla-mp back and the knife 28 penetrates between the valves of the animal while at the same time the rocking of the lever 24 thrusts the knife 29 forward and pries the upper valve upwardly as shown in Figure 1. It is to be understood that the springs of the patent above mentioned are used to restore the knives and clamp 27vto their original positions when the bivalve is removed.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine lthe invention to the exa-ct form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come Within the scope claimed. 1

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. In an oyster shucker of the kind described, a movable support provided with a body having a concave oyster engaging face, and a pair of spaced arms pro]ecting from the body to lie below and support a bivalve engaged against said face, said concave face belngprovided with vertical serrations, said arms having their upper faces provided with transverse serrationsl 4. In annoyster shucker ofthe kind described, a movable support provided with a body having a concave oyster engaging face, and ay air of spaced arms projecting from the bo y to lie below and support a bivalve engaged against said face, said concave face being provided with vertical serrations, said arms having their upper-faces providedwith transverse serrations with the serrations of one arm angularly disposed to the serrations of the other arm. y

5. In an oyster shucker of the class described, a valve lifting'knifehavingabifurcated shell engaging bla'de provided with Y round ended arms, said knife being wedge .shaped in side elevation and bowed upward- 1y between the edge and base of the blade. In testimony whereof I aiixiny signature. HOWARD J. WHELAN. 

